Firestorm
by Unheard Flipper
Summary: Captain John Sheperd of the UNSC, Savior of Elysium, and first human Spectre. But a firestorm is coming and will take everything he has and more to stop the two greatest threats the galaxy has ever faced
1. Prolouge

**Halo:****Firestorm**: _Prologue_

Shanxi, a world located on the very edge of UNSC space. A large planet orbiting an energetic white star, and a gravity 1.2 times that of earth's, Shanxi was not a comfortable place. Forty degrees in the shade, Shanxi was hot, humid and sprawling with jungles. Although many would say that the view of the mass of sprawling jungle canopy of the world was oddly breath taking in its alien beauty.

However the blood red canopies, beautiful from an observation deck, were an all together different story on the ground. The jungle was home to venomous insects the size of grown man's fist, deadly snake like reptiles, viscous predators, and toxic plants who flowers expunged a foul, flesh rotting virus.

But still the brave colonist had persisted, clearing out the jungle, and making great artificial plains in which to build their settlements and farms. The reason? Titanium. Beneath the dense crust of Shanxi the valuable mineral was located in abundance, despite the hostility of the planet, the colony boomed on the lucrative titanium trade.

It was due to the valuable asset that lead the people of Shanxi to begin protesting the Colonial Administration Authority's chaffing bureaucracy. These protest became negotiations, which turned to demands after years of frustrating talks. In the end, like many of the other outer colonies, Shanxi rebelled against the United Nations Space Command.

The rebellion was not taken lightly. Due to the planet's immensely valuable resources, the UNSC responded with a half a dozen ships of the 51st fleet, a regiments of marine, and a Spartan. Needless to say the rebellion was utterly crushed, and hundreds of civilians perished in the fighting. The brief uprising against the UNSC had ended disastrously for the population of Shanxi: thousands had died, the UNSC declared martial law, and to make matters worse, the Insurrectionists, in a final gesture of defiance, had sabotaged and destroyed much of the essential mining equipment for Shanxi's vast titanium mines.

The results of the destruction and sabotage were predicable. With Shanxi's only valuable industry destroyed, many colonials, tired of the fighting, tired of just trying to survive the death world, left for more prosperous pastures and a better life in the Inner colonies.

Yet the colony survived. Those who remained were determined to make their world liveable once again, and put their misfortune behind them. It took five long years but the colonies mines became profitable once again, mostly due to the rapidly increasing demand of the metal.

Many on Shanxi dismissed the UNSC reports of a coalition of aliens, known as the Covenant, waging a genocidal campaign against humanity as mere propaganda. At least, that was until a Covenant battle group consisting of a carrier, three battle cruisers and a dozen smaller ships entered the Shanxi system and set a direct course for the planet.

Shanxi was lost. Even if beyond all possible odds, the mere six ships were successful, the Covenant would send a larger fleet, and then Shanxi would burn, and the three million inhabitants who called the world home, would be consumed in the fire. No trace would remain. Except, for the sheet of glass that would cover the surface. The inhabitants only hope was for the six ships to buy enough time for them to be evacuated, and for that to happen, the Covenant's capital ships had to die.

With the main striking force of their group gone, the smaller ships, which were obviously, due to their lack of aggression, not commanded by Elites, would hopefully retreat to Covenant space, giving the populace of Shanxi the time they desperately needed to evacuate the planet. At least that was the plan

Out-numbered, out-gunned, and hopelessly out-classed, the small group of UNSC ships numbering only half a dozen immediately moved to intercept. All that stood against the alien ships was a Halcyon cruiser, two destroyers and three frigates. The logs of the lone survivor of the battle, the frigate, _Wolf's __Comet_, and the testimony of many of the evacuees confirmed that the small group had traded their lives for time.

The late group commander Captain Charles Whitecomb's speech, had given evidence of their courage, and determination even in the face of the genocidal aliens:

"Men, this is our hour. This is our time. This is where we face death with our knees unbent and our heads unbowed. And when we meet again in Valhalla let it be known that we few sent one hell of a vanguard to guide our way!"

The battle group had often joked that the cruiser that Whitecomb had commanded was appropriately named: _Soul __of __the __Poet_.

The Ship Master of the Covenant carrier _Unyielding __Solace_ and commander of the battle group, as aggressive as any sangheile, eagerly engaged the humans. To do anything less, would be a sign of disrespect to such an enemy who was willing to fight and die despite being so out numbered. What the Ship Master did not realise however, was that the radiation from the systems white star, was playing havoc on his shields, something that the humans, thanks to the _Soul_'s smart AI Freddy's quick observation of the Covenant battle group as it entered Shanxi's system, were well aware of.

As the Covenant attacked Whitecomb ordered his two destroyers to engage the battle cruisers, and for all three of his frigates to fire on the _Unyielding __Solace _leading the charge. Three MAC rounds. Three rounds that in a normal situation would have barely been felt, depleted the powerful shields that protected the ship. Whitecomb gave the order to fire. The _Soul __of __the __Poet_ rumbled as the massive gun fired its six hundred tonne slug straight at the charging, and now unshielded _Unyielding __Solace_.

The six hundred tonne projectile slammed into the carrier, gutting the ship from bow to stern. Immediately the smaller Covenant ships had broke away from their charge, as though thoroughly intimidated by the sight of four human ships killing a target that would have had no trouble obliterating the small human group on its own.

The battle-cruisers on the other hand, now reduced to two, continued their charge, obliterating the two destroyers who had bravely moved to engage them. The plasma torpedoes had burn through the armour shells, causing them to explode in brief, bright flashes of light.

The surviving UNSC ships turned to engage. The battle had turned into a deadly game of tag, the human ships attempting to keep away from the enemy, and their deadly plasma torpedoes, while the Covenant sought to chase them down and destroy them. Despite the best efforts of the AI Freddy the _Soul_was hit, and wounded several times, but she was a Halcyon class cruiser. Designed to take the punishment, and _keep __going_.

In the end, the Covenant battle-cruisers, far superior in speed and turning, were able to close distance with the human ships. The frigate _Thunder __Child _was the first of the remaining ships to die, in a desperate, brave, gamble to by time for the small group, she turned to face the enemy ships.

David versus Goliath. Except that in the tale David killed Goliath with a single shot from his sling. The frigate charged firing everything she had.

It wasn't enough.

The battle-cruiser's torpedo ripped through the ship. But even as the ship exploded, her half charged MAC gun fired.

The battle-cruiser shields barely felt the blow, as it turned away from the debris field that marked _Thunder __Child_'s grave.

_Thunder __Child_'s sacrifice, was not in vain, as she and her brave crew, had bought the group enough time for the group's MAC guns to fully charge. As one they turned on the Covenant and the two remaining frigates fired. Their target's shields collapsed, and the _Soul_ fired. The round slammed into the battle-cruiser's unshielded broadside, sheering the stricken craft in two.

Now all that remained of the Covenant capital ships was a single battle-cruiser. A lone battle cruiser against two frigates, and a single, damaged, Halcyon cruiser. To make matters worse, the smaller Covenant ships seemed to regain their nerve, and were now on an intercept course with the depleted human battle-group. If the population of Shanxi was to survive, that last battle-cruiser had to die. And quickly.

The three ships formed up. The _Wolf's __Comet_, on the portside of the _Soul_, her sister ship, _August __Wind_, on the starboard. The three ships charged. Whitecomb had ordered his ship's nuclear arsenal be primed. The was no way that the warheads would reach the battle-cruiser if they were launched in the traditional manner. Covenant point defensives were too good. His only choice was to deliver the payload in an untraditional way, he would ram his ship into the cruiser, then Freddy would remotely detonate the nuclear payload. Most of the _Soul_'s crew, had already abandoned ship, only Captain Whitecomb remained.

Onward the three ships charged, as plasma torpedoes sailed in as quickly as the enemy crew could fire, several struck home, but the wounded _Soul_continued on.

A torpedo that would have struck the _Soul_'s bridge was intercepted by the _August __Wind_, the brave ship was destroyed, sacrificing itself for the mere chance that Whitecomb suicidal run would be successful.

It was.

The _Soul __of __the __Poet_ struck her enemy mid-ship. For a few heart stopping moments the two ships remained entangled, stuck together by webs of twisted metal. Then the voice of Captain Charles Whitecomb was heard singing the final choirs of _Waltzing __Matilda _over the battle net.

As the final verse was sung, the two ships were engulfed, in a bright and deadly light, as the _Soul_'s nuclear payload was detonated, destroying both ships and killing a brave man. The remaining Covenant ships retreated into slipspace. The battle for Shanxi was over, the population was saved.

When the Covenant returned to the system a few days later, all that remained was the debris fields that marked the battle, and the empty homes and abandoned homesteads on Shanxi's unforgiving surface.

Shanxi was forgotten as humanity struggled to survive against the Covenant onslaught. Then ten years later, the SPATAN II soldier known as the Master Chief discovered the Halo rings, broke the enemy's resolve, and a Great Schism, divided the Covenant Empire in two, as Elites and humans joined forces and after twenty-seven years of war, finally won.

The war had been devastating. Twenty-three billion humans dead, their fleet and armed forces ghosts of their former might. Most of the colonies were nothing more then sheets of radioactive glass.

While the elites, the sangheile returned home, to wage their unfinished war with the remains of the Covenant, what remained of the san'shyuun and their jiralhanae bootlicks. Humanity turned to rebuilding the shattered remains of their empire. Tensions between the two species would remain high for many years to come. Though dialog was maintained, both humanity and sangheile were content to leave each other be.

Over the next forty years, humanity concentrated on rebuilding its shattered military, conscription was introduced, and over the years the UNSC fought a dozen campaigns against both the jiralhanae who occupied dozens of worlds, and against the Insurrection, who were loath to give up their new found freedom from the UNSC.

Many of the human worlds however were simply resettled, or underwent a process of terraforming. Shanxi, one of the few planets to be spared from a Covenant glassing and was quickly resettled, and mining operations were restarted almost immediately.

What no one knew was that humanity and the UNSC were on a collision course with another alien coalition, and the one of worst threats to all sentient beings was waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

* * *

Well here it is. This has been bothering me for a while now, and I've decided to put it on to paper finally. I know that a Halo, Mass Effect crossover isn't very original, but I'm hoping that my ideas are.

What tends to bother me about a lot of HaloxME is that the author tends to make humans and elites BIG time allies almost like the USA and the UK despite the fact that elites killed, helped kill, or was compliant in killing MORE THAN FIFTY PERCENT of the human population. Or how the UNSC have a fleet that rivals the Covenant at the being of the Human-Covenant War, as all of their ships are equipped with powerful shields and energy weapon.

But that is just my humble opinion which is worth as much as the air I used to say it.

I'm going to warn you that if you like to see advanced human race saving the galaxy and being best friends with everyone, with their elite buddies, you are not going to like this at all.

Anyway read and enjoy this prologue as it will probably take me a year to put out another chapter.


	2. Discovery

**Firestorm:** _Chapter __1: __Discovery_

293rd Army Brigade HQ, Shanxi: 0530 hrs.

_Beep! __Beep! __Beep!_

"Alright, alright I'm up. I'm up." Brigadier General Christopher Williams, commander of the 293rd UNSC Army brigade, Shanxi's garrison, and for all intents and purposes, commanding officer of the far off jungle world, groaned sleepily, as he glared at the small alarm clock and the incredibly annoying sound it was capable of producing.

There were many irritable mornings that General Williams thought about getting rid of the damn thing, and replacing it with a model that could do more then just annoyingly beep. But he never could bring himself to do it. The thing was like an old, albeit, extremely annoying, friend. It had marked a turning point in his life and had seen him through the early mornings and long days at the UNSCDF Officer Candidate School on Luna. To get rid of it now just seemed... rude.

He yawned and threw off the warm covers of his bed, and absently scratched at the thin angry red scar that marred the left side of his face. A parting gift from his first man he had killed. Williams had been a newly promoted 2nd lieutenant fresh out of his graduation class, and sent straight to the front lines of the reclamation effort. It had horrified him at first, but as they days went by he got used to the death and destruction that war brought.

It had, at the time, seemed strange to him, not ten years after the devastating Human-Covenant War, the UNSC launched another one with the aim of reclaiming their lost colonies, from, not only Covenant holdouts, but surviving elements of the Insurrection who were not willing after years of being free of UNSC rule, to be brought so easily back to the fold.

Against the Covenant the battles were fairly simple: the navy would find their strongholds, and the marines and army troopers, would be sent in to clear out the unorganized defenders. The Innies, however, often fought the UNSC tooth and nail, and they never went down quietly. With good reason, vengeance against the Covenant was bloody enough; the vengeance that marines and army troopers took on the Innies was even worse, as befitting traitors and cowards.

Yawning once again, the general ran a hand through his short cropped greying hair, as he mentally debated whether to shower first, or get breakfast before the sadist that he called his jogging mate arrived for their traditional early morning run.

_Run_... Williams snorted, _more __like __an __early __morning __torture __session_.

In the end decided on neither and quickly changed into his jogging fatigues and awaited the cruel and inhuman punishment that he had suffered through everyday since arriving on Shanxi. The wait was not long.

Less then a minute later, a polite rapping at his door informed the good General that his torturer had arrived. There was an old saying that the Devil comes in many guises, the devil in this instance wore the disguise of an attractive, blonde petite woman in her early thirties. Captain Jennifer Turpin _aide __de __camp_ to Brigadier General Williams saluted politely, as Williams stepped out of his quarters.

"Good mornin' suh, I trust you slept well?" Turpin asked in greeting, as the two began to jog at a leisurely pace.

"Well enough Captain, well enough." Their jog was taking them past the familiar buildings of the barracks, where formations of troopers were gathering for morning review before their own exercises. Choruses of "good morning General," and good morning Captain," were shouted out to the jogging officers, who simply waved back in reply.

Several minutes past, and Williams was begining to feel the strain. Not that he was out of shape; the fifty-six year old was actually in pretty good condition, it was the gravity of the world that was getting to him. Williams was from Earth and Shanxi's gravity was 1.2 times that of Earth's.

Turpin on the other hand, was not even breathing overly hard. She had the luck to have been born and raised on New Sussex, a world whose gravity was 1.13 times that of Earth's, and thus was more adjusted to Shanxi's high gravitational pull.

"You alright suh? I could slow down if you want." Turpin called back to Williams from over her shoulder. It was a traditional line between the two. At first Williams had been insulted and suspected her of insubordination. But as Williams got know his aid he understood that she was very impressed with the fifty-seven six old Earth born man's ability to keep relative pace with her, in a high gravity environment.

Williams shook his head and picked up his pace. "That's alright Captain. I just needed my second wind. Besides," he panted as he jogged past her, "I think you need to step up the pace a little yourself, Captain."

Turpin snorted as she matched his pace. "Not bloody likely... uh suh."

They had been running quietly for a few minutes when Turpin spoke up. "So, General suh. Wot's the news from home?"

Williams was quite for a moment as he slowed his pace down, as he thought about any recent news bits that he had heard. "Well from what I hear is that the Insurrection on several planets flared up again, and the UNSC has been trying to put them down despite being stretched so thin. Rumour also has it that SPARTANs were deployed against the Innies."

Turpin was taken back. "SPARTANs? Really suh?"

Williams nodded. "I sincerely doubt it, but that's the scuttlebutt back home." He was silent for a moment. "I've also heard that the elites are still engaged against the remains of the Covenant, and have lost several more ships in various engagements."

Turpin snorted. "Serves the split-lips right."

"Couldn't agree more Captain." Williams' expression turned bitter, he had been a child during the First Battle of Earth and had seen the destruction and death caused by the elites. Then he smiled, "on brighter note, my son's wife is pregnant, which has obviously pushed back his enlistment date."

Turpin smiled as well. "Congrats General, suh."

Williams beamed with pride at the thought of being a grandfather in nine short months, and the two friends fell into talking about the good news from home.

* * *

293rd Army Brigade HQ Shanxi, August 5th, 0743 hrs

Lt. Colonel Alvaro Marquez de Cielo's fingers drummed impatiently against his data pad, filling the office that he occupied with irritable tapping. de Cielo knew that this would happen; it was after all a fairly common occurrence for the general's early morning run to be prolonged, especially since his running mate was the ultra-competitive Captain Turpin.

de Cielo sighed, so much for the seven thirty briefing. His stomach rumbled loudly, reminding him that he had yet to eat. Maybe he could slip out and grab a snack from the officer's mess, and be back here before Williams showed up. It would take about five minutes. de Cielo seriously considered the idea, and then shook his head. No, he would just wait, by the time the briefing was done; the mess would be close to empty, allowing him to eat at his leisure.

Finally the door to the office opened, and de Cielo leaped to his feet, turning to face his superior officer. de Cielo noticed two things about the General. First off, Williams' had yet to change out of his sweat stained jogging fatigues, and two, the General reeked of body order and sweat.

Clearly not bothered by his state of dress, and smell, Williams returned the salute as he walked past de Cielo. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Colonel. My run took longer then expected."

de Cielo nodded, "I take it that your morning jog with Captain Turpin was enjoyable then, sir?"

"About as much as having teeth pulled." Williams said sarcastically, as he wiped still dripping sweat from his brow. "Anyway, Colonel, give me Fourth Battalion's report on their training exercises."

de Cielo cleared his throat. "As per orders, Fourth Battalion spent the last six days in the field conducting exercises. Three days ago tanks from Fourth Battalion's Papa Company linked with Second Battalion's Echo Company. We spent a day and a half participating in combined arms exercises. Then Fourth Battalion proceeded to conduct mock engagements with Second Battalion."

The corner of Williams' mouth ticked up in a smile, as he detected a hint of smugness in his subordinate's voice. _Obviously __the __winner __of __their __mock __battle_.

"Second Battalion put up a very good fight, general, and came close to breaking through our defences several times over the course of the engagement."

Williams leaned back in his chair as de Cielo continued with his report. The general had learned long ago that garrison duties were hard on soldiers, especially on such remote worlds like Shanxi. Williams himself had experienced the same thing, when he had married his wife Maria. During the whole reclamation period he had only seen her a few times during those ten years, as the Army was deployed along side the Marine Corp to make up for the extreme causalities that had been inflicted during the Human-Covenant War.

In order to help combat anxiousness and the poor moral that often accompanied long tours of duty at the edge of human controlled space, Williams developed a simple solution. Keep the men busy. For nine days each one of his four battalions was put through three days of combat drills, and six days of field exercises often working with another battalion in a combined arm drills, with each battalion taking a different shift. At the end of their exercise the battalion would get three days leave for some rest, and then the whole process would repeat again.

Williams would often write to both his wife and son about how he had the best trained brigade in the whole damn UNSC.

"All in all, I'm very proud of Fourth Battalion's conduct." de Cielo continued, "practically with Oscar Company's second platoon. The platoon was ambushed and Lieutenant Herschel was 'killed' by sniper fire. However Platoon Sergeant Henichi showed excellent leadership, and was able make an organized withdrawal with her platoon to a better firing position almost a kilometre away, while under fire, with relatively few causalities."

"Impressive." Was all Williams could say.

"_Si_. With your permission sir, I would like to give Henichi and her platoon an extra long leave. Five days instead of the usual three."

Williams shrugged. "It's your battalion, Colonel, but I do agree that their bravery and skill should be rewarded." He paused for a moment, "if that's all Colonel you're dismissed."

de Cielo saluted as he pushed himself out of the chair he had occupied for a good half hour. "_Gracias _General, sir."

As the Hispanic Lt. Colonel left the office, Williams collapsed into his chair. He was exhausted, and his little rivalry with Captain Turpin was killing him. _I __really __need __to __stop __egging __her __on_, he thought bitterly as he struggled to pull himself out of his chair. What he needed now, Williams admitted, as he limped to his office door, was a _loooonnnngggg_ hot shower.

* * *

Third Battalion training grounds Shanxi, August 5th 0912 hrs.

Sergeant Donal Mac Seain, Third Army Battalion, Kilo Company, watched impassively as his squad took their positions on the firing range. Though he tried feign causal indifference, in reality Mac Seain was squirming inside. Fourth squad had a lousy and not undeserved reputation of being some of the most incompetent men in the whole brigade.

Even as the squad opened fired on the targets only thirty metres down range, Mac Seain was already walking down the firing line, bellowing corrections and instructions that the whole squad had been over _dozens _of times. In fact Mac Seain could not remember a drill at the range when he wasn't screaming.

"Wiltson! Squeeze the damn trigger! Don't pull it! Anderson! Stop firing from the damn hip! Aim down the god damn sights! Jones! It helps if you turn the safety off! No! Don't fucking point that rifle at me! Keep it aimed down range you useless turd!"

If Mac Seain was anybody else, he would have found the scene hilarious. As the five foot three, Sergeant, easily the smallest member of the squad walked the firing line, his Irish brogue becoming thicker and thicker as he quickly lost what little patience he had.

"Squad! Cease fire! Mags out, safeties on!"

Mac Seain shook his head in disgust as he read their scores. "Well you useless piles of manure, it seems that the only one of you useless mogs was actually able to his target with at least some degree of reliability. Corporal Chung, you managed to get the highest score, a fifty eight. You are just slightly above useless!"

Mac Seain took a calming breath. "Alright turn in your empty mags and head over to the obstacle course! On the double! Come on leg it! I'll make riflemen out of you spanners yet, even if it puts me in the ground!"

The squad took off at an even pace even as Mac Seain followed screaming insults, and orders to get in formation. _What __did __I __ever __do __to __deserve __this!_ The Staff Sergeant knew that he and his squad were the laughing stock of Third Battalion, The Dregs as they were so _affectionately _named. But so help him God, he was going to get them combat ready, even if he had to kill them.

* * *

Fourth Battalion Oscar Company barracks, Shanxi, August 5th 1000 hrs.

Platoon Sergeant Chikako Henichi was riding high with elation and pride. She was the talk of the battalion, and it finally felt like the men she commanded were finally coming to accept her, especially now that she had won her platoon two extra days of leave. In her more humble of moments Henichi would admit that it was more the bravery and skill of her men that had allowed them to make the withdrawal, but for now she was enjoying the praise.

"Come'n Sarge! we're going to Fraserton! Spend some of that hard earned creds that we've been earning!" Corporal Hendricks yelled as he waved to Henichi.

"Hendricks-san, it would be my honour to accompany my platoon on a night of binge drinking, and a morning of terrible hangovers." Henichi smiled as the rest of the platoon cheered. It was a soldier's custom to get smashed while on leave, and Henichi was touched at the invite.

A day ago none of them would have offered. At least not sincerely.

Henichi had been born on Neo Kyoto. A planet that had... a troubled history. Neo Kyoto was founded in the late 2400's by a fairly large group of New-Shinto practitioners, which there was very little that was new about them. Neo Kyoto was supposed to be their new paradise that exhibited the best of Nipponese culture, without the taint of _gaijin_ and outsiders to pollute their new paradise.

In short the people of Neo Kyoto were nothing more then a bunch of religious xenophobic assholes who wanted to recreate the Japanese Empire, and establish a new and pure sacred homeland.

The UNSC was quite happy to let them have their own world, and then ignore them, as long as they paid their taxes, until they inbreeded themselves into extinction. At least that was what the UNSC hoped would happen.

Then came the war with the Covenant, as humanity was pushed back, Neo Kyoto was some how over looked by the Covenant. Neo- Kyoto then rebelled and slaughtered the few UNSC troops who had remained to garrison the planet. Free from the UNSC, they had celebrated the coming of the Covenant and at the destruction of the UNSC.

Several years later, the war had ended and the UNSC had come back. They would never again allow humanity to be divided like it was. The people of Neo Kyoto rebelled, and were utterly crushed.

Henichi had been born into this time. She had been a small child when her parents had been killed, attempting to detonate a car bomb at an army check point. Orphaned, Henichi was taken in by her uncle. Her universally hated, UNSC sympathizing uncle, whose views Henichi also began to more or less emulate. The people of Neo Kyoto treated her as an outcast. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore, and left her home to join the UNSC.

The people of the UNSC treated her well enough, better then the hate filled looks and wads of spit she endured while on Neo Kyoto, but there was a lack of trust among her fellow soldiers. After all Henichi had come from a planet that had rebelled against the UNSC while they fought and died against the Covenant.

But now, now she had finally earned her platoon's trust and admiration. From now on Henichi knew that although some would still hold onto the view that she was a coward and a traitor because of her birth world, her platoon would step up for her. After years of being a pariah, she now felt like she belonged.

* * *

UNSC Science Vessel, _Beyond __Reach_. In orbit above Galestrum, Edge of the Shanxi system. August 5th 1228 hrs.

Head Science Officer Linda Rosenberg was _ecstatic_. While scanning the surface of the large terrestrial planet, Galestrum at the very edge of the Shanxi system, she had ordered on nothing more then a whim, that the planets two satellites also be scanned for interesting minerals.

The scans of satellite Galestrum I were inconclusive. The satellite was nothing more than a ball of frozen rock that had become trapped in Galestrum's orbit. Galestrum II on the other hand...

Galestrum II was not natural at all.

At first glance Galestrum II was nothing more then a floating ball of ice in space. There were thousands of objects like it, and thus relatively uninteresting. Galestrum II was interesting because inside that giant ball of ice, was an artificial object. That as far as could be told as of now, was not Forerunner. Seismic scans showed the object to be of massive size, and shaped much like a circular tuning fork.

This was Rosenberg's moment. The moment when her career would take flight like never before. Where she and her team of twelve had made a discovery of galactic importance. She could see it now, interviews, publications, seminars of her earth-shattering discovery.

Brushing a greying bang out of her eye, Rosenberg turned to the COM officer.

"Lt. Gormez. Get me General Williams and Captain Haroldsen. They need to know what we've found."

* * *

Unexplored System, 45th Scouting group, Turian Hierarchy Heavy Cruiser _Impervious_, 1723 hrs Citadel Galactic Standard Time.

Rear Admiral Lucius Raverus was a typical turian doing his duty to the Hierarchy. Nothing more, nothing less, and he expected those under his command to act accordingly to the standards that he set.

This was why he was out here on the very fringe of turian space, and not back home, with his new born grandson, back on Palaven. Although this had upset him greatly, he knew his duty to his primarch and the Hierarchy was to be out here commanding the four frigates and the single heavy cruiser that made up 45th scouting group.

"Sir, mass relay jump was successful, and all ships are reporting green across the board. Our drift... under 3k." Helmsman Regulas reported.

Raverus nodded, 3k was good... not great, but good. "Engage scanners and look for FTL wakes in the system. We've had reports of pirate activity in this area, and I want to know were the pyjaks are hiding."

"Yes sir!" Came the helmsman response, as he booted up the ship's scanner.

Raverus turned to his COM officer, "Lieutenant patch us into a comm buoy I want reports to be relayed back to Command every hour." The admiral turned to the _Impervious_' captain, a grizzled and battle scared turian, Flecius Helacix.

"Captain Helacix, our tour with in this cluster should last approximately five weeks, first we will comb this system for the pirates." Raverus opened a map, displaying the clusters five systems. "If no trace is found in this system, we will search the next, moving in a counter-clock wise pattern."

As the vice-admiral out lined their intended route on the map, Captain Helacix spoke up. "What are the rules of engagement when we find them, sir?"

Raverus closed the map. "Rules of engagement are as follows. When we find them we are to demand their immediate surrender. If they fail to comply, were are to annihilate whatever ragtag fleet they've assembled, and then attack whatever kind of ground base they have. Preferably from orbit, but if this is not possible I will dispatch the 425th Cohort to eliminate them."

Helacix nodded. Although he was several years senior of Raveron, he was both impressed with Raverus' raw aggressiveness, his ability to keep plans relatively simple and his dedication to complete a trivial task such as this to the best of his ability.

"Admiral Raveron, Captain Helacix, sirs!" The navigator rushed over to the two officers.

"What is it lieutenant?" Raverus snapped, he disliked when subordinates interrupted his mission briefings.

The navigator wasted no time. "Sir the scanners have picked up several broadcasts in an unknown language."

Raverus' mandibles twitched in surprises. "This cluster was supposed to be uninhabited. When was the last time it was scouted?"

Helacix quickly accessed his omi-tool. "It says about a hundred and fifty years ago sir. Do you think the pirates could be a new species?"

"It's possible." Raverus concluded, as he brought up the map once again. "Lieutenant, show us were the broadcast are originating from."

The lieutenant quickly pointed to a star system on the other side of the cluster.

Admiral Raverus nodded. "Tell the helmsman to set a course to that system, and alert all ships to our new destination." He turned to Captain Helacix. "Prepare to make first contact."

* * *

Well the second chapter is done in recorded timing! I'm quite proud of myself. Now I know that in the Haloverse the Army is not deployed by the Navy but I figured that with the high casualties of the war, that the UNSC could not to wholly rely on the depleted Marine Corps and as such deployed the Army along with them to help boost their numbers.

So please read, review, and enjoy.


	3. First Contact

**Firestorm:** _Chapter __2: __First __Contact_

UNSC Destroyer: _Fist __of __Odin_, in orbit above Shanxi, August 5th 2592, 1235 hrs

The UNSC destroyer; _Fist __of __Odin_ was an old ship. She had been commissioned in the late thirties, and had flown against the Covenant in several battles, including the Battle of Earth. Yes the old girl had quite a history behind her. Despite the history of her service and the battle scars she proudly carried on her hull, the ship was still old and outdated. In most circumstances she would have been retired, or scrapped.

These however, were not normal times. The UNSC Navy had, along with the rest of the UNSCDF had been all but been destroyed during the Human-Covenant War. Before the war, the UNSC navy could once be counted in the hundreds; afterwards, they barely had a few dozen.

Travis Haroldsen was the Old Man of the _Fist_. Like the ship he commanded, Haroldsen was an old, battle scared vet, who had flown in dozens of battles, and served in multiple campaigns. His first battle, at the tender age of seventeen had been the Battle of Reach. The very fact that he had been a part of a fleet that had flown against the unified Covenant not once, but also during the Battle of Earth, and survived had the crew in awe of him.

Haroldsen didn't understand the crew's feeling. It wasn't as if there was anything amazing about him. Captain Haroldsen was of the firm opinion that the only reason he was alive to command this ship, was that the gas-sucking grunts who manned the torpedo weapons those days were either piss poor shots, or to busy shooting at the other ships. Luck, was not something to be in awe of.

He was a firm believer in the concept of luck. Not to the point of superstition were you had to measure every step to make sure that you didn't attract the negative aspect of luck, although Haroldsen did keep one or two 'lucky' items in his cabin, they were more for decoration then for the generation of good luck. Haroldsen believed that luck was weighing as many of the odds in your favour as possible, then hoping to God almighty that the dice, when rolled, came up in your favour.

A buzz on the intercom interrupted his private musings. Not bothering to look up from his reports, Haroldsen reached over and pressed the receive button.

"Captain Haroldsen, sir. We're receiving an incoming transmission, both from General Williams HQ, and the research ship _Beyond __Reach_. They want to speak with you sir."

That made Haroldsen curious. General Williams, though commanding officer of the entire Shanxi garrison, including the three ships in orbit, he took a very hands of approach to command, especially when it came to the Navy.

Most of the men under Travis Haroldsen's command were understandably... concerned with a ground pounding army general commanding them. Most still were. But the Captain had been assured by General Williams that he would not intervene in fleet operations, unless he deemed it absolutely necessary.

"Patch them through to my cabin, Lieutenant." Haroldsen ordered, as he stood up, adjusting the tunic of his uniform.

"Aye, aye, Captain. Patching it through now."

The COM screen that dominated the wall above his desk, flickered to life, as both General Williams, and Doctor Rosenberg appeared on screen.

"General. Doctor." Haroldsen nodded in greeting, before getting to the point. "What's this about?"

"Yes doctor. I'm interested in hearing what your team has discovered." General Williams said as he leaned foreword his elbow resting on his desk.

Doctor Rosenberg took breath, as she fiddled with the worn wedding band on her finger. Though Rosenberg liked to project the image of confidence and assertiveness, as befitting an ONI scientist, Rosenberg was actually a very shy and nervous woman, and the images of the two hard faced officers in front of her, was not helping.

Taking a calming breath, she twirled her wedding band once more before she launched into her report. "_We'vethinkwe'_!"

Rosenberg cursed herself as it all came out in a rush of unintelligible gibberish. General Williams merely raised an eyebrow, as though trying to hide an amused smirk, while his Navy counterpart Captain Haroldsen grunted impatiently.

Another calming breath was need. "I'm sorry. It's just that this discovery..." she lied, "anyway, what I was saying was that while the _Beyond __Reach_, was scanning the planet Galestrum on the orders of ONI." She left it deliberately vague; no real need to tell them why ONI was interested in the area. "I decided that both of Galestrum's satellites should be scanned as well. The results of Satellite I were inconclusive. However the scans on Satellite II showed us that the moon is not actually a moon at all. It's an artificial construction encased in ice."

Rosenberg watched both officers as the news sunk in. Captain Haroldsen's eyebrows shot to his brow, as he began to pace his office. General Williams' own reaction was more subdued, as merely leaned back into his chair as he waited on the doctor to continue.

Rosenberg brushed a greying strand of hair away from her face as she pressed on, her nervousness slowly dissipating as she warmed to her subject. "From what my team can tell, the construct is massive, and resembles a tuning fork in shape, other then that we have no idea what it is."

There was a brief pause, and then Haroldsen spoke, "so why are you calling us?"

Rosenberg wilted under Haroldsen's glare as she stuttered, trying to find her voice. Thankfully General Williams spoke up. "I believe that what Captain Haroldsen is saying; is that neither of us has a science division assigned to our forces, let alone a xenoarchaeologist to help your team study the construct. So what can we do for you Doctor?"

Rosenberg toyed with her ring again as she gathered her nerve for the request she was about to make. "My purpose in calling was... was to request the aid of a UNSC warship to help with the excavation, and to oversee security."

Captain Haroldsen's reaction was understandable, as he quickly resumed pacing, and swearing under his breath. The UNSC Navy only had three ships in the system; two frigates and a destroyer, not a whole lot to stand against any sort of determined attack, even less with one on the other side of the system.

"I know that I'm asking for a lot," Rosenberg's already quite voice, was even more subdued in the face of Haroldsen's anger, "but..."

"It is both your duty to request a warship, and ours..." Williams interrupted, as he glared at Haroldsen, "to provide you with security, and whatever help you may need. If we do not, then both Haroldsen and I are in violation of ONI's Spark Protocol."

The Spark Protocol had been created by ONI in light of the dangerous nature of many of the Forerunner artefacts that had been discovered, ranging from Covenant interest, to sentinel attacks, and in worse case scenarios, Flood infestations.

"I know the Protocol!" Haroldsen snapped. "Doesn't mean I have to like it, General."

A moment of silence passed. "I will dispatch the frigate _Beyond __the __Abyss_, to rendezvous with your ship at Galestrum." Haroldsen finally said. "Now if that is all, I have work to do."

He waited until Williams gave a nod of consent before cutting the link, and sinking into his chair. Haroldsen's back cracked painfully as he leaned back, mentally cursing which ever of the sadist designers was responsible for the cheap office chair that he occupied.

He had not been lying to Williams' he did have lots of work to do. _Damn __reports! _Haroldsen hated the things. It was one of the reasons he had fought, tooth and nail, against every promotion that had been offered to him when he had made Commander, with varying success. Hence why he was now the Captain of the ship and not its executive officer, though he had been successful in forestalling his appointment to Rear-Admiral.

Travis Haroldsen, was not lazy, nor was he unmotivated. It would be closer to say that he was _afraid_. Yes, that was it. He was afraid of being left behind, afraid of being saddled behind a desk, never to command a ship again, while the rest of humanity pushed ever onwards. Their future, their destiny to whatever you wanted to call it. Whatever it was it was out here, in space, and he be damned if they left him behind.

Haroldsen snorted, he was philosophising. Just went to show you how much he hated reports. Giving his head a shake he picked up his pad and got to work.

* * *

UNSC _Beyond __Reach_. In orbit above Galestrum, August 5th 2592, 1315 hrs.

Doctor Lisa Rosenberg was ransacking her cramped quarters, shifting through piles of clothes, books, and research papers, as she searched desperately for her data pad. _Damn__it! __I __left __it __right __here! __Right __here!_ Rosenberg cursed herself.

How could she have lost it? Her life's work! Every article she had ever written, every discovery she had ever made! Gone! Rosenberg was shaking, her breath raspy and short, she was on the verge of a panic attack.

"Okay, okay calm down and think." Rosenberg told herself, as she took several deep, calming breaths before sitting on the only unoccupied area of her bunk. "You came in here, and set it down, before you left to your meeting with Haroldsen and Williams. Now where did you put it?"

Rosenberg cursed herself again. She had always been an untidy person, something that her husband Felix, had teased her relentlessly about. But then Felix had been a marine, and her level of untidiness was once both a constant source of amusement and a constant source of complaints, when on the rare occasions they were both at home.

Her fingers twisted the wedding band; they had only been married a short time, when Felix's ship had vanished. No one knew why, no one knew how, only that it was gone taking three thousand men, and women with it. The news had been devastating and for a while she was almost comatose, what few friends she had tried their hardest to cheer her up to no avail. Finally, she had snapped out of it forcing herself to realize that Felix hated grieving and would much rather smile and laugh at good memories, then cry and mourn them.

That was it! Rosenberg chuckled at her own idiocy. The pad was where she always put it. Rosenberg stood up and walked over to the only picture that rested on her cramped and cluttered desk. A young Felix smiled up at her, as she lifted it up revealing the much missed data pad that doubled as a support for the old frame.

Just in time to as she was paged by the intercom. "Dr. Rosenberg?" We're being hailed by the frigate _Beyond __the __Abyss_."

The Doctor's eyes widened as she glanced around her quarters, "Thank you Lieutenant," she said, as she kicked piles of clothes away from the sight of the view screen in an effort to appear 'neat.' "Please, patch it through to my quarters."

A second later the view screen came to life. "Dr. Rosenberg? I'm Lieutenant Commander Rachel Gomez. Commanding officer of the _Abyss_."

"A pleasure Commander." Rosenberg greeted as she turned to the screen. "I trust you've been informed of our discovery?"

The Commander shrugged, as she brushed a bang of brown hair behind her ear. "Not as much as I would like. All I know is that there's something in a hunk of ice that you want out." The woman's tone was resentful, and dismissive. It was quite obvious that Commander Gomez did not want to be here.

Rosenberg tried to keep from wilting from the other woman's tone, trying to present an aura of confidence. "More or less, Commander. Selene?"

Selene the ship's AI appeared instantly just off to the left of the doctor. Her avatar, was that of a bright blue woman, lithe and athletic looking, her long 'hair' done up in a neat pony tail, while strands of dark blue code ran up and down her body, in seemingly random intervals.

"Yes Doctor?"

"Please bring up the seismic scans of Galestrum's second moon."

The AI nodded as she clasped her hands behind her back. "Of course Doctor." The avatar disappeared, only to be replaced by a hologram of the moon.

"As you can see here Commander," the disembodied voice of Selene continued. "The ice, rock and debris that have formed around the construct are several hundred kilometres thick in some areas. There are, however, several thousand fissures and crevasse within the ice."

"And you need the _Abyss_'s MAC gun to blow great chunks of space rocks because conventional explosives are useless in this sort of situation." Gomez concluded, as she studied the map intently.

Rosenberg nodded. "Correct. Precise MAC shots will deepen these fractures, and speed up the excavation process significantly. But these must be precise. Especially when we get to the later stages, as an errant shot could damage, or destroy the construct."

Gomez snorted, she wasn't an idiot. A standard frigate born MAC gun impacted with the explosive power of 64.53 kilotons of TNT roughly five times the bomb dropped on Hiroshima back in the 1940's. A single misplaced shot _was_ going to ruin someone's day. "Well Doctor, I think we should get to work. The sooner your hunk of space junk, or whatever it is, is dug up, the soon I can return to patrolling Shanxi. Send me the coordinates of where you want the first shot, and we'll move into position."

With that said, Commander Gomez terminated the link, leaving Rosenberg and Selene alone in formers' unbelievably messy quarters.

It was the AI Selene who finally broke the silence. "Well... the good Commander seems rather pleasant. Wouldn't you say Dr. Rosenberg?"

Rosenberg chuckled. "Indeed. Maybe it's just me, but I seem to have a way to either annoy, or anger Navy officers."

"I'll say." Selene agreed, watching as Rosenberg played with her ring before kicking some clothes into another pile. "Two officers in less then half an hour, that's has to be a record."

Rosenberg laughed as she hit the light switch, and made her way to the bridge. There was a lot of work to be done.

* * *

UNSC _Beyond __Reach_. In orbit above the Galestrum construct, August 13th 2592, 0911 hrs

It had been eight days. Eight long days, since the excavation of the Galestrum construct had begun. Precision MAC blasts had blown off huge chunks of ice, rocks and debris, and slowly ever so slowly, the construct, as everyone had taken to calling it, was freed from its tomb of ice and rock.

Doctor Rosenberg was ecstatic. This was history in the making! Though much of the construct remained uncovered, only the first dozen metres of the 'fork' tips were unearthed. It was definitely not Forerunner, it was like nothing that she had ever seen, or heard about, even with the vast archives of ONI's studies on xenoarchaeology.

Which, Rosenberg had to admit were not as vast or complete as many would like you to believe.

Still she was excited. Everyone on the team was, their names would go down in history after such a big find. "Selene, status report."

Selene flickered into view. "We are now down to the final hundred metres of rock and debris. We should probably have Commander Gomez stop blasting away with the MAC. Wouldn't want all that hard work be for nothing, just because someone got a little too carried away with our weapons of mass destruction."

The doctor rolled her eyes. "I don't think the Commander is that over zealous, Selene. I doubt she would intentionally destroy the find of a lifetime. Besides she's waiting for more targeting data before she does anything else."

Selene shrugged. "Maybe not 'intentionally' Doctor, but how about 'accidentally'?"

Rosenberg shook her head. "What do you suggest then?"

Selene paused for a moment, as she scanned the partly excavated construct. "There are several dozen fractures running through the remainder of the ice. If we were to hit these seven," Selene vanished and was replaced by a blown up hologram of the construct, "delayed fused Archer missiles, set to detonate at four, point three seconds after each other, that should cause enough of the sediment to break off, and allow our investigation."

"Lieutenant!" Rosenberg called to the COM officer, "patch me trough to Commander Gomez."

"Aye, aye, Doctor. Patching you through."

The view screen came to life. "Doctor Rosenberg." Commander Gomez greeted, "I suppose you have more targets for me?" Gomez did not mean to be snide and she was mostly able to keep it in check, but the stress of multiple trips to refuel and rearm, often at late hours, coupled with the indignation of being at the beck and call of a civilian, even if that civilian was an ONI scientist, had left her temper... frayed, at best.

"Yes actually!" The doctor practically squealed, the light of discovery burning bright in her eyes, despite the heavy bags from lack of sleep. "Selene has calculated that seven delayed Archer missiles detonating four point three seconds from each other at these coordinates that I'm uploading to your ship, should break what remains of the ice and sediment."

Gomez breathed a sigh of relief. "Arming the Archers with a delayed fuse won't take long; I'll get the armoury right on to that." The Commander did not wait for a reply before she cut the link. _Finally_, Gomez though cheerfully, _We're __almost __done, __now __maybe __I __can __get __a __good __nights __sleep_!

* * *

Unexplored System, 45th Scouting group, Turian Hierarchy Heavy Cruiser _Impervious_, 1298hrs Citadel Galactic Standard Time.

The five ships that made up the 45th Scouting group remained silent, formed up in perfect formation just on the edge of the system. They had been there for two days, observing the aliens, not wanting to reveal the galactic community without authorization from the Citadel, but also not wanting to return to the Hierarchy without a report on this new species, especially if the aliens could be absorbed as one of their client races.

Rear-Admiral Raverus stroked his mandibles as he stared at the view screen, holding himself to keep from floating off. Almost everything had been shut off, in order to minimize the chances of detection. An annoying precaution, Raverus would admit, but a necessary one.

Beside Raverus, the battle scarred Captain Helacix huffed. "Look at the size of their ships. Bet the primitives are compensating for something."

Raverus had to agree. The images of the alien ships were not the beautifully sleek and agile ships that the Citadel species built, but they were rather large and boxy in size and shape, and according to the _Impervious_' VI, completely devoid of element zero. It was obvious that the species was just venturing into space and had no concept of the benefits of the element.

"Admiral! Sir! You should take a look at this!" The navigator floated over to the two officers, a data pad clutched in his hands.

"What is it, Lieutenant?" Raverus barked, annoyed from the interruption.

"I'm sorry sir, but our scouting drones just sent back images from the system. The aliens are excavating what appears to be a dormant Mass Relay."

Raverus was taken back. "What? Give me that! Let me see." He said as he snatched the data pad.

Live feed from the drone proved what the Lieutenant had said was right. Raverus eyes widened, and his mandibles flared, the white tattoos of his colony making him look fierce in the dim light.

"By the spirits! They are trying to activate it! Captain order the ship to battle stations!" Raverus yelled, as turians rushed to their stations. "Guns! On my authority you are to open fire on that craft! Do not let them activate that Relay!"

The weapons officer nodded as the computer blinked green. "Main cannon is charged and locked. Firing in, three, two, one!"

* * *

UNSC _Beyond __Reach_. In orbit above the Galestrum construct, August 13th 2592, 1009 hrs

The construct was free. The last bits of the icy tomb that had clung to the construct broke away as the Archer missiles detonated.

Doctor Rosenberg could barely control herself, she was shaking with excitement. "Helms take us in for a closer look. Selene begin an in depth scan of the construct."

The AI appeared in front of the doctor. "Already underway, doctor." She paused and frowned. "It's communicating."

Rosenberg looked up from the view port. "Communicating? With what?"

The AI shrugged, "with us, the ship, and something far off. I mean REALLY far off, like millions of light years away far off... It's trying... It's trying to activate itself! The _Reach_, the ship! It's a trigger, or switch! This is amazing!"

But Rosenberg did not share her enthusiasm. "Helms, slow down. Selene is this something we should worry about?"

She never got an answer. At that moment the ship was rocked by massive impact that tore through the hull, sending Rosenberg crashing to the ground. Fires ignited, and explosives detonated, great holes were ripped opened to the cold, blackness of space, dragging screaming and injured crew into the dark void.

Lisa Rosenberg slowly climbed to her feet. The bridge was a mess, dead crew laid strewn along the floor, injured men and women called out, pleading for aid. Her right hand moved to finger her wedding ring. Rosenberg's eyes widened.

_It wasn't there! _

How could that be? She never took it off! Felix would be so disappointed if she lost it! She dropped to her knees as she searched the ground. There! There it was! She quickly crawled past the fallen bulkhead that had severed her left forearm from her elbow.

Carefully she picked up the limb and desperately tried to reattach it. _Come __on! __Come __on! __It's __got __to __fit! __It __just __has __to! __Felix __saved __for __so __long __to __be __able __to __afford __this __ring __I __can't __loose __it. __I __just __can't_! She thought desperately as she continued to try pushing the limb back into its proper place.

Mercifully, the UNSC research ship _Beyond __Reach_'s engines went critical, and detonated.

Three hundred and thirty seven men and women died with it.

* * *

Rear-Admiral Raverus breathed a sigh in relief. They had stopped the aliens from making a huge mistake. It was regrettable that the ship had to die. The Rachni Wars had proven that activating dormant Mass Relays was incredibly foolish, and not worth the risk of fighting another such war. He closed his eyes. It was obvious that the ship had been civilian, no shields, no defence. The _Impervious _had torn through ship like an angry krogan through a weakened bulk head.

"Admiral!" An ensign shouted, "another ship has appeared on radar and is heading straight for us!"

Raverus hesitated. Should he attack, or retreat. If he retreated now, the situation could probably be salvaged without further bloodshed, if he attacked he could start a war that would no doubt get the Council involved.

A second later, his mind was made up as the frigate _Noctem_, was hit, and ripped in half by a massive kinetic impact. The crew of the _Impervious _watched in stunned amazement as a bright flash signalled the death of the _Noctem._

"By the sprits..." Captain Helacix whispered, "A single shot..."

Raverus however was not going to sit idly by. His turians had just been killed, the aliens had to pay.

"COMs patch me into the rest of our ships, and divert all power to necessary systems." Raverus snapped. "Captain Helacix! Get a hold of yourself, and kill that ship!"

"Yes Admiral." Helacix said as he snapped back into reality. War had called, and his turians would answer.

Raverus watched for a moment as Helacix floated down the CIC, bellowing orders, before he turned to the COM consul. "All ships, this is Rear-Admiral Raverus. We have been engaged by hostile forces. Form a battle line and move to engage the enemy! Frigates_Vitae_, _Invictus_, and _Vitiosus_, form up in Ikalium formation, and move to engage at minimum range. Use the torpedoes to knock out their shields while the _Impervious _covers you!"

In the perfect sync of well trained soldiers, the three frigates formed up in an arrow head formation, as the sped forward. They would close to a distance of only a few dozen kilometres before firing a torpedo salvo. The torpedoes would knockout any shielding that the ship possessed, and then the big gun of the _Impervious_, would be free to knock it out.

* * *

The bright light from the exploding _Reach_, filled her bridge. "My God..." Gomez heard someone whisper.

For a single stunned moment the bridge fell quite as the light from the _Reach_, slowly diminished.

"Sensors! Where did that shot come from?" Gomez quickly sprang into action. She wasn't about to let cold blooded murder go unanswered. The _Reach_ had been a civilian ship, unarmed, unarmoured. She never had a chance.

"Other side of the system ma'am!" Came the reply, "sensors are picking up three... No, five signatures!"

"Covenant?" She prayed that it wasn't.

The sensor officer shook his head. "Negative ma'am. They don't match any known signatures."

The Commander wasted no time. "Guns pick a target! I don't care which just blow the nose of whoever's closet as soon as you get a green light from Vic."

At the mention of his name the large, bald headed AI, Vic, flickered into view. "Already got a target lined up. Commander. Just say the word."

She did. "Fire!"

The ship rumbled as the _Abyss_fired her six hundred ton projectile. "Direct hit. Charlie One... destroyed." Vic sounded almost... surprised. Against Covenant shielding it had taken mass fire to down a single ship, but against these unknown aliens only a single hit it seemed was necessary.

"Commander!" Her sensor op shouted over to her, "We have incoming! Charlie Two, Three, and Four are closing distance, Charlie Five is remaining on the edge of the system."

"Shit!" Gomez cursed. Though the _Abyss _was a newer frigate, its MAC gun still needed time to recharge. Three minutes in fact. She needed time.

The _Abyss_ shook, as a shot from Charlie Five tore a large chunk out of the lower deck.

"Ma'am! Deck four has been breached, and is venting atmosphere! Whatever hit us punched clean through the armour! We need to move, we won't last long in a straight up fight!"

"I know that!" Gomez snapped, "Guns! Fire an Archer salvo, try and get those ships to break formation. Helms, as soon as that salvo is fired, duck behind the construct, I want something between us and those ships! COMs alert Captain Haroldsen that we've made contact with an unknown enemy!" Gomez ordered, even as her ship shook from another impact.

"Report! What's the damage?"

"Nothing major Commander. The shot glanced off on the plating protecting the engine core!"

Gomez breathed in relief. Luckily the plate protecting the core was the thickest armour on the ship. "Vic, get damage control moving now! I want every breach sealed shut now! Guns? Where is my Archer salvo?"

The gun layer keyed a switch. "Full Archer barrage! Firing in three, two, one... They're away!"

Dozen's of bright, fiery trails launched from _Abyss_, and streaked towards their targets. As they neared their targets, Bright deadly lights flickered out from the enemy ships swatting dozens down, but hundreds more got through, crashing into the shields. In the end only two missiles even got through to Charlie Four, they however caused significant damage, and forced the three ships to break off their attacking run.

* * *

Raverus slammed his fist into the CIC as he watched his three frigates break off from their attack. _Vitae _had suffered significant damage to its upper deck. Although it was still moving under its own power, it had been effectively removed from the fight.

The Admiral watched with disgust as the enemy ship, moved behind the Relay using it for cover from the _Impervious_, and the remaining turian ships.

"They really are primitives Admiral!" Helacix shouted from his station at the rear of the room. "The damn idiots don't even have shields!"

"Their fire power, more then makes up for it, though Captain." Raverus called back.

"Admiral, sir! We're picking up two more alien ships! They are moving to engage our frigates!"

"What?" Raverus turned to the view screen in time to watch the _Invictus _be destroyed, its damaged barriers barely even flickering in defence, as a bright yellow light speared through it. The _Invictus _floated for a moment before it detonated. Shortly afterwards the damaged _Vitae_ was blown a part by a similar shot.

"Damn it!" Helacix cursed. "Admiral, we should retreat! We cannot stay here. The aliens have us out numbered and out gunned, we should pull back, NOW!"

Raverus nodded. It was the only thing he could do. "Helm engage FTL drives, get us back to the Relay! COMs warn _Vitiosus_, that we are pulling out now! And send a message to High Command they should know what happened here!"

What remained of the 45th Scouting group vanished from sight as they sped away, leaving the debris of three frigates and a single alien ship. They would return, Raverus was sure of that, and this aliens would feel the wrath of the Hierarchy's full military might.

* * *

293rd Army Brigade HQ, Shanxi: August 13th 2592 1106hrs.

Brigadier General Williams, was stunned. A civilian ship had been destroyed, and one of the frigates that was supposed to be in orbit protecting Shanxi, was now in dry dock, having the gigantic hole in its hull repaired.

But worse of all, they had been attacked by _another_ alien species.

"General Williams, suh, what are your orders?" Captain Turpin asked, her hands clasped behind her back as she waited patiently for the general commands.

Williams looked up, "My orders Captain are as follows: Fist, all leave is immediately cancelled, and all troopers are to report to their barracks. Second, First Battalion is to be withdrawn from their field exercises, and stationed in here in Harptown, to act as a mobile reserve. Third I want all officers to report to the HQ for an emergency briefing. Fourth and finally, I am enacting the WINTER CONTINGENCY, and sending out a distress call to UNSC high command."

Captain Turpin nodded. "I'll issue these right away suh."

Williams nodded as Turpin left.

"God help us." He whispered when he was sure he was alone. "God help us all."

* * *

Well here is the third chapter. A little bit longer then I'm used to doing but I think I did a good job capturing the surprise of both the turians, and the UNSC as they encountered each other.

Something I'm going to point out here is that according to Halo Wiki, a standard frigate MAC round weighs about 600 tons and impacts with 64.53 kilotons of explosive power. While according to ME Wiki, an Everest Dreadnought impacts with roughly half that but is able to fire every two seconds.

While the Destiny Ascension is according to Ashley able to rip through the barriers of any Alliance ship. So I am estimating that the Destiny is able to fire a slug with the same energy out put as the a UNSC frigate, but I'm also estimating that the larger the ship the bigger the gun, the more power it has. Much like a destroyer escort in WWII had only 5'' shells while a battle ship had anywhere from 15'' to 18'' shells the UNSC MACs will get bigger as ship weight increases.

Next chapter the Siege of Shanxi begins! Don't forget to review!


	4. The Siege of Shanxi

**Firestorm**: _Chapter three: The Siege of Shanxi_

293rd Army Brigade HQ, Shanxi: August 13th 2592 1310 hrs.

Captain Jennifer Turpin was understandably apprehensive... No, scratch that that, she was down right terrified; and with good reason. The WINTER CONTINGENCY had not been declared since the Battle of Earth, forty years ago. And Earth herself had barely survived the attack. What chance did Shanxi have?

As the commanding officers and their company commanders filed into the briefing room, a few looking disgruntled at having their leave cut short, Turpin could not help but analyze the situation.

Shanxi was lightly defended. The UNSC only had three ships in orbit, well two now that the _Abyss_ was being repaired, and had about three thousand soldiers on the ground, not including the irregular militia, who roughly numbered about another four thousand, but they were ill-equipped, and were of varying degrees of dedication, and competence.

Turpin knew that if Shanxi was to survive they would need reinforcements, as their counter attacks would be able to do little against a determined invader.

Quite chattering filled the room, as the officers took their seats, some laughed at jokes, while others grumbled amongst themselves, while they awaited General Williams to make his appearance. It wasn't a long wait. No sooner had the last officer sat down, when General Williams marched into the briefing room.

"Ten Hut! Officer on deck!" Turpin bellowed, saluting, as the General moved to stand behind the podium that was beside her. Chair legs scratched the floor as those in the room snapped to attention.

"At ease." Williams said, as he saluted back, waiting patiently for them to resume their seats.

"Well, I know that some of you are upset, with leave being cancelled." The General began easily, "but at least you'll be safe from Mess Sergeant Patloski's infamous 'Cure all Hangover Tonic.'"

A few men chuckled, the rest, including Turpin herself, shuddered. Patloski's 'cure' was a thick bland looking substance, not unlike porridge, that smelled tantalizingly wonderful, but tasted, according to one man's opinion, like "old, well used gym shorts, mixed with sweaty socks." To top it off, Patloski was an evil genius. Somehow despite him belonging to First Battalion's Delta Company he managed to ensure that every company, of every battalion was well stocked with his 'cure,' which was shared out the morning after every leave.

As Turpin shuddered again, the General continued. "However, most of you have probably heard the rumours, that less than two and a half hours ago, humanity made contact with another hostile alien life form. Unfortunately, these are not rumours, but actual facts."

The room sat stunned silence. Then the whispering broke out.

"Again?"

"What now?"

"What if it's the Covenant again?"

"Or the elites? I knew we couldn't trust them. Split-lip bastards!"

Williams raised a hand, and the whispers fell silent. "At approximately 1000hrs this morning, unknown hostiles engaged the civilian research ship _Beyond Reach_, as it was investigating an unknown alien construct in orbit around Galestrum. Unfortunately the _Reach _was destroyed, and all hands were lost. Lt. Commander Gomez, commanding officer of the UNSC frigate _Beyond the Abyss_ engaged the hostile ships, destroying one, and heavily damaging another."

Cheers broke out. They had at least gotten some payback; maybe even made the aliens think twice before messing with the UNSC again.

Williams allowed the celebrations to go on for another minute, before raising a hand, and again bringing the room to silence. "The _Abyss _was damaged during the fight and was forced to withdraw; but do too the arrival of the UNSC warships, _Fist of Odin_, and _Into the Fire_, and the destruction of two more enemy craft, the aliens were forced to withdraw."

Cheering broke out again. However General Williams immediately silenced the enthusiasm. "Be that as it may, we cannot over look our situation here. An unknown alien force has discovered Shanxi, and has proven themselves to be hostile. That is why I'm issuing this order: the WINTER CONTINGENCY is now in effect. All UNSC personal are to report to their barracks for emergency orders."

No cheering. No whispering. Just stunned silence. A declaration of the WINTER CONTINGENCY meant one thing: Shanxi would be invaded.

"The plan for Shanxi's defence is simple. First, and Third battalions will be assigned to Bountiful and Fraserton respectively. Second battalion is to be withdrawn from field exercises and stationed in Harptown and act as our mobile reserve."

When General Williams had chosen Harptown as the new HQ for the 293rd, Turpin at once knew she was dealing with a very cautious and deliberate officer. Harptown was Shanxi's oldest settlement, and was the only pre-evacuation settlement to be refounded during the resettlement. Harptown was now the refining capital of Shanxi and boasted five space elevators to the main shipping station, where the refined titanium was shipped off world.

What made Harptown a great HQ choice was that it was connected to the vast majority of settlements by rail, which in case of emergency could be used to transport large quantities of men, and material relatively quickly. It was also the only settlement on Shanxi that was surrounded by jungle on all sides. Most settlements had cleared dozens of square kilometres of jungle either for their vast mines, or in vain attempts at farming. Harptown had been built in support of the mining industry, and what few mines were actually opened quickly dried up.

No longer seeing a real purpose in keeping the jungles back, the people of Harptown had allowed the fast growing jungles to grow right up to within only a single kilometre between the city's wall and the deadly jungle.

In short, Harptown was easily defendable, and near impossible to besiege from ground. An invading enemy, would find it almost impossible to land troops in sufficient quantities to take the city, and would be forced to take the major mining settlements of Bountiful and Fraserton first in order to be able to move on to Harptown itself.

Turpin shook her head. _Listen to the general_, she scolded herself, _he's already thought of all this no need to dwell on it._

"Fourth Battalion will be in split up at put in charge of recon and stationed on the outskirts, and in the smaller settlements. Colonel Gustav." Williams nodded at the commanding officer of Shanxi's militia, "I want the militia mobilized immediately, and for your best companies to join Fourth Battalion on recon duties. The rest will be split and assigned to either Fraserton or Bountiful to augment our numbers."

The aging, and portly commanding officer of the militia nodded as he made a note on his data-pad, as he stroked the slightly bush mutton chop moustache that he proudly wore, as though it was a symbol of honour. Turpin herself believed it made him look like those old aristocratic British generals from the eighteen hundreds.

"Once the enemy makes landfall, it will be the Fourth Battalions responsibility to find their landing zones. We will then attack these zones with only enough of our forces to disrupt their operations and to destroy necessary supplies." Williams continued, as Turpin stared at him in confusion.

WINTER CONTINGENCY called for immediate counter attacks to throw the enemy off the planet. Not the delaying and defensive strategy that Williams' was seemingly committing his forces to.

"Lastly, I don't expect this plan to survive five minutes after contact, so I must make this absolutely clear. We are to delay, and defend. We do not have the numbers, the equipment or the supplies to fight an offensive campaign. Any questions?" Williams paused for a moment as he waited, "No? Then you all have your orders. Dismissed."

The sounds of scrapping of chairs and the low murmur of discussion filled the room as the officers quickly vacated the briefing room. Turpin waited for the last of the officers to file out the door before she approached the general herself.

"Captain Turpin." General Williams' nodded in greeting, as she saluted. "Something I can do for you?"

"Permission to speak freely suh?" Turpin asked after a moment of hesitation.

Williams nodded his consent.

Turpin took a breath. "What the bloody hell is going on suh? You issue a WINTER CONTINGENCY order which calls for offensive operations, and instead plan for delaying and defensive tactics? What is going on?"

The General was silent for a moment. "Captain." He stressed her rank, letting her know that she had better listen. "I want you to listen, and listen closely, this doesn't get out. Understand?"

Turpin nodded.

Williams glared at her for a moment before continuing. "The base's AI, Lily, informed me this morning that Shanxi's sun is producing massive radiation storms right now. Worse, these storms are interfering with intragalactic communication. UNSC command has no idea what is happening here."

"How long before we can send out a distress single?" Turpin asked.

Williams shrugged. "We've no idea. Worst possible scenario is that COMs are out for a month. Best? Three or four days. Lily is estimating two week until communications are back up. Right now I'm expecting and preparing for the worst; that it could almost two months before any reinforcements can get here. If they get here at all"

"And if we were to go on the offensive..." Turpin trailed off.

"We would dead, and the planet in enemy hands, before any relief got here." Williams finished.

The two stood in silence for a moment. It was Williams who broke it. "In the meantime Captain I suggest a trip to the armoury and the range. I have a feeling that we will need to be familiar with a weapon in the next couple of weeks."

Turpin agreed. "Yes suh. It certainly sounds like it suh."

* * *

Hierarchy Fleet High Command, Palaven. Five Galactic Standard Days after the Battle of Relay 314 1600 hrs.

Rear-Admiral Lucius Raverus shifted uneasily as two turian admirals and a single general glared down at him. It had surprised him, how quickly the military had moved to place him on trial. Just a standard day ago, he had arrived at Palaven with what remained of his scouting group. His report on why he was returning with only two ships and been submitted three standard days ago when they had come into range of a COM buoy.

Scarcely an hour after the two ships had docked; Raverus had received a message, telling him that he would be facing a military tribunal for his action and subsequent losses during the skirmish around what was now known as Relay 314.

The tribunal had ripped into and grilled him for several hours over every detail in his report. Despite the grilling there was one topic they continued to visit.

Fleet Admiral Adrinos Helexus leaned forward, as he scrolled through the data-pad on his desk. "I must return to this matter Raverus. In your report, a single ship, that you, yourself estimated to be the size of a light cruiser, destroyed a Hierarchy frigate with a single shot, and was able to heavily damage a second. This is correct?"

Raverus did his best not to sigh. This was the fourth time that this matter had been called to attention. "Yes. The alien ship turned to engage us, after we prevented an unauthorized and illegal activation of a mass relay. Relay 314."

To Helexus' left, General Aella Dorsou glanced up from where she had been starring off into space. "Yet this alien ship engaged you, only after you ordered and succeeded in destroying their ship. Which your report, as well as several of your officers, point out was obviously a civilian ship with no defences what so ever."

Another topic that had been brought to light several times during the hearing. Raverus honestly didn't believe that had acted wrong. The aliens were attempting to activate a dormant relay, in violation of Citadel law, as well as common sense. Activating dormant relays had led to the Rachni Wars.

Raverus nodded. "I did. I ordered the ships under my command to fire on the target after it became apparent that the aliens were attempting to activate the relay, which was in violation of Citadel law."

"Citadel law, that they had no idea existed." Dorsou countered, as she leaned back.

He had no answer for that.

"It doesn't matter." Palicus Falco, the admiral to Helexus' right spoke up, as he glared at the general. "Rear-Admiral Raverus was justified in his actions that he took against the aliens Citadel convention is clear on the activation of dormant relays."

General Dorsou nodded her consent. "Citadel conventions maybe clear on this matter, but these aliens obviously had no idea what they were investigating, or had any idea that there was other intelligent life outside their system. And we introduced ourselves by attacking their ship."

"And they responded by destroying three of ours. They have warships for the spirits sake! It's obvious that they are not peaceful, and are expecting hostile reactions!"

"So we should obviously try our hardest, like the Rear-Admiral here, to provoke a war with a new alien species who are obviously, just leaving their home systems." Dorsou countered as she tossed a glare down at Raverus.

"Enough!" Helexus barked. "It doesn't matter General Dorsou if the aliens had no idea of Citadel law, the conventions are clear that the activation of a dormant mass relay is to be stopped at any cost. Rear-Admiral Raverus acted accordingly. That is not the subject of this military tribunal. This tribunal is to shed light on why three fifths of the ships sent out to investigate Iulus cluster did not return."

The general glared at Falco for a moment before turning away from him. "I... Concede the point. Raverus actions were justified by Citadel law."

Helexus nodded at her, before he turned again to Raverus. "You state in your report that after the destruction of the alien ship, the frigate _Noctem_ was destroyed, by a single shot of unknown source. How did you respond?"

Raverus clasped his talons behind his back as he met the tribunals gaze. "I ordered that the frigates _Vitae_, _Invictus_, and _Vitiosus_, form up in Ikalium formation, and move to make a torpedo run on the ship, while the _Impervious _gave them cover."

The three members of the tribunal nodded. It was a standard tactic, a salvo of disrupter torpedoes to eliminate the kinetic barriers on a ship, and distract them from the larger guns. The enemy ship would often be destroyed by either the massed torpedoes or the large gun of the cruiser.

"The ship avoided several shots, but we managed to score a direct hit. It surprised us, as the shot ripped through the enemy ship, altering us to the fact that the enemy had no kinetic barriers. Before I could order the frigates to take advantage of this new information, they were swarmed by a massive missile launch. There were hundreds of them, the missile managed to deplete the frigates barriers and heavily damaged the _Vitae_, scattering them from their formation.

"The enemy ship then moved to place the relay in between it and the _Impervious_. That's when two more ships appeared on LADAR destroying the _Invictus _as well as the damaged _Vitae_. With no other options, I was forced to withdraw into FTL."

Helexus scanned through his data pad again. "You're subordinates reports also indicated that this action was the only option available to you. Any more questions?" Helexus asked his fellow judges. Falco quickly shook his head; Dorsou scratched her mandibles for a moment, and then shook her head.

Helexus nodded as he turned back to Raverus. "Rear Admiral Raverus, you are dismissed while this tribunal examines the testimonies of you and those of your crew and subordinates as well as the available data from your ship's VI."

Raverus saluted, turned smartly, and marched quickly out the door.

"You've been in there a while sir." Captain Flecius Helacix greeted from where he sat, just outside the tribunal's large wood doors.

"Captain Helacix. I'm surprised; I thought that stuck in the same boat as me, with those... varren." Raverus spat, as he jerked his head back at the door that led back to the tribunal.

"I was." Helacix said, as he leaned against a wall. "They tore me a part, looking for holes in the reports, trying to get me to admit to incompetence or worse, they even asked me questions about your sanity, sir. Bunch of barefaced..."

Raverus held up a hand to silence the captain. "I know. One of them on my tribunal tried to get me to admit that I was looking for a way to provoke a war. I did what needed to be done."

"I know, sir. I know."

The two were silent for several minutes. Each wrapped up in thoughts of the future. Most were bleak. It was at times like this when you couldn't stop thinking of the worse case scenario, when you kept entertaining thoughts of your own doom.

"What do you think will happen, sir?" Helacix finally asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Raverus shrugged. "I don't know. Best case, I think we end up demoted and stuck on some faraway planet in the hopes that we will retire early and fade from public sight. In the worst case, I think the Council will get involved and we will get arrested for 'murder' for that ship that was destroyed."

Helacix chuckled. "Kind of figured that's what would happen."

Again silence fell between the two officers, as the time ticked by. Two hours past in the hall, and still no one came to get them and Raverus was getting worried.

What if they never called him? What was he supposed to do? Go to a hotel? How could they reach him then? They'd think he had gone AWOL and then he'd be in real trouble.

Finally the door pushed open, and a uniformed guard stuck his head out into the hall. "Rear Admiral Raverus. They're ready for you."

"Good luck sir."

"Thank you Captain." Raverus said, as he pushed into the room.

As he marched quickly into the room, Raverus noticed that the three tribunal officers were standing at attention, and were not seated on the raised dais that dominated the centre of the military court. Then he saw why and immediately snapped to attention.

Just off to the right of the dais, stood a turian in an expensive, well tailored suit. Bright white tattoos of his colony covered almost all of his face in an intricate pattern. Behind him stood four guards, dressed in heavy battle armour, each caring an assortment of high quality weapons. Nothing but the best for a Primarch's personal guard

Raverus was not overly concerned about the visible guards. He was sure that there was probably another six or seven hidden around the room somewhere, ready to pounce at a moments notice.

"You are Rear-Admiral Lucius Raverus, correct?"

The Primarch waited for Raverus' nod of conformation before continuing. "I am Primarch Alphoeus Imbrex. I'm here to discuss the recent developments in Iulus cluster and the loss of many of our brave soldiers."

Raverus was confused, but he waited patiently as the Primarch continued. "A hostile alien race discovered attempting to activate a mass relay, who then, proceeded to attack a turian patrol when they attempted to stop them from violating a Citadel law."

Raverus finally felt the need to speak up. "Sir, I'm sorry but I don't understand what's going on."

Primarch Imbrex flared his mandibles in a grin. "That is more or less what happened according to your report, is it not Raverus?"

Raverus nodded, though it wasn't exactly what he had put in his report, it was, if someone tweaked a few incidents, basically what had happened.

The Primarch flared his mandibles in another grin. "Then you have given the Hierarchy the perfect reason to return to that sector, and attack this dangerous new species that we turians have discovered."

Realization dawned on Raverus. Primarch Imbrex was looking to add an addition to the client races under the Hierarchy's banner. If the aliens were conquered now, before any of the Council species could discover what had transpired, they would have to accept the story of both the Hierarchy and what ever sympathetic government that would be established, as the truth.

"Now, you have experience against these aliens, at least in ship engagements," the Primarch continued, "What can you tell us about them? How many ships did they have? What kind of weaponry? Professionalism?"

Raverus was silent for a moment. "Sir, I must stress that my combat experience is negligible. I only fought against a single ship, I have no idea what their personal is like, what their doctrines are, or even how many ships they have."

Primarch Imbrex was not paying attention. "We must hurry. I'm assembling a fleet of three heavy cruisers, six light cruisers, and twelve frigates. These will be split up into several groups which will depart from different areas of turian space, but will arrive at the rendezvous within a five galactic days. I'm also assembling the necessary ground support, and have assigned the Gothis 14th Infantry Legion as well as the Rocam 9th Mechanized Legion to the pacification and occupation forces.

I trust that this should be enough to pacify any local resistance. Now if you excuse me... Oh by the way, congratulations on your promotion, Admiral Lucius Raverus, your subordinates will contact you to finalize your invasion plans. Good day."

Raverus was stunned. When he had been called to appear in front of a military tribunal, he had expected the worst. But instead, he had been promoted, and put in command of an operation to subjugate the aliens that had killed three hundred of his men, and destroyed three of his frigates.

He looked over at the tribunal Fleet Admiral Helexus appeared disinterested, Admiral Falco shrugged; he was happy with the out come. General Dorsou was glaring at him; the tribunal had obviously not turned out the way she had wanted.

"Well then," Helexus began, "this tribunal is concluded. Admiral Lucius Raverus, you are herby cleared of all charges. Dismissed."

Turian Hierarchy Heavy Cruiser _Impervious_. Eleven galactic days after the Battle of Relay 314. Unexplored system in the Iulus cluster. 0013hrs.

Admiral Raverus stared at the tactical map that filled the CIC. Several spy probes had been launched into the system, and what they were seeing had removed all doubt that this alien species was no doubt taking its first steps into space.

The probes showed that there were still only three ships in orbit, and what appeared to be a single repair and refuelling station. No extra ships, no apparent defensive build up, and only a single fighter patrol that was currently making a sweep on the other side of the system.

Of course they would have a difficult time finding the invasion fleet. Under Raverus orders, only life support was running. Everything else had been deactivated to keep the element of surprise. What little heat radiation that would be detected would be minimal, and appear to be background interference from the system's star.

Raverus was nervous. In two minutes, he would give the signal for his ships to engage. His plan was fairly simple; he had sent the other two heavy cruisers, with two wolf pack groups of frigates around the outside of the system to flank the planet.

At 0015 hrs Raverus would have the _Impervious _and the six light cruisers move into combat range, and destroy the station, before pulling back, attempting to draw the ships in orbit after his battle group. Once the enemy moved to engage, the two flanking groups of ships would ambush the enemy, using their speed to bypass their powerful guns, and engage them at the nearest possible range.

If there was any chance of success, the turian fleet had to hit them hard, and fast with a precise strike. Once the enemy group was neutralized, the troop ships carrying the ten thousand men of the two legions would launch the ground campaign, by sending their shock troops to secure a beach head for the main landing force.

Raverus was not overly concerned with the ground operation; he left to General Desolas Arterius of the Rocam 9th, and overall commander of ground operations.

Raverus checked the time device. One minute to go. "COMs, are the battle groups in position?"

The lieutenant dialled in a few numbers, waiting for the response of the two officers who had been placed in charge of the flanking attacks to report in. Seconds ticked by, Raverus could feel his heart in his gizzard. Everything depended on the flanking attacks.

"Sir! Both groups are in position and are ready to proceed with the attack."

That didn't make him feel any better. "Thank you COMs, prepare to alert the fleet we begin operations in," The Admiral stared down at his time device as he called out the seconds. "Five... Four... Three... Two... One... Commence offensive. Ships of centre group may begin their attack runs."

"All ships of centre group, begin your attack runs on the enemy station. Repeat: all ships of centre group, begin your attack runs on the enemy station. We are green for offensive operations!" The lieutenant yelled into his transmitter.

The _Impervious_' engines hummed into action, as the ship moved forwards. Raverus glanced at the tactical map, the other ships of centre group kept pace, as they entered the system in perfect formation.

"Admiral! we are in range of enemy station, main gun is charged and locked. Awaiting your order sir." The weapon's officer yelled from console.

Raverus looked over at the weapon's officer. "Fire!"

* * *

UNSC destroyer _Fist of Odin_. In orbit above Shanxi. August 27th, 2592. 0500 hrs.

It had been two weeks since the alien force had retreated. Two weeks and nothing had happened. No scouts, no probing attacks, not even a fighter patrol had come through Shanxi's system.

Had the aliens actually been Covenant, Captain Travis Haroldsen knew that within two maybe three days, a fleet would have jumped into the system, and Shanxi would have been glassed.

But they weren't fighting the Covenant. They didn't know who they were fighting. All Haroldsen, and the rest of the UNSC knew was that some aliens had destroyed a civilian research vessel without provocation, and the General down on the ground had declared the WINTER CONTINGENCY, and for the past two weeks, the two undamaged ships of his battle group had remained on high alert.

Haroldsen was tempted to call General Williams and attempt to get him to withdraw the WINTER CONTINGENCY order. But had decided not to, as he had no idea what they were facing. The only data that had been retrieved from the wreckage of the _Beyond Reach_, and the newly repaired frigate, _Beyond the Abyss_, was that the enemy used kinetic weaponry, though on a much smaller scale then the UNSC MAC guns, they were able to fire at a much faster pace.

A fight between them was like a fight between an assault rifle, and bolt-action.

Haroldsen rubbed his forehead, attempting to ease the headache that had been plaguing him for the past week. He was stressed, tired, and worried. He tried not to show as he walked up and down the _Odin_'s bridge, studying consoles, and conversed with his crew.

They were no doubt as stressed, as worried as him; it was not everyday that you discovered that there was another alien species wanting to kill you for no apparent reason, other then the fact that your species existed.

Haroldsen stomach growled in protest at the lack of nourishment. He hadn't eaten today, or yesterday for that matter. That was probably one of the reasons for the headache.

"Commander Gomez," Haroldsen called to his XO. "You have the bridge. I'll be in the mess in case of emergency."

"Aye, aye, sir." Lieutenant Commander Rachel Gomez saluted as Haroldsen disappeared from view.

Haroldsen had transferred the Lt. Commander after the skirmish over the alien construct, and assigned his previous XO to command the _Abyss_. Not out of any sort of punishment, but out of prudence. Gomez had single handily fought off a half a dozen ships, destroying one and seriously damaging another, stalling them until help could arrive; it was the reason why a Silver Star now decorated her uniform.

But Gomez knew more about the enemy than anyone else. Although that was not saying much, as she had only played tag with the enemy for a few minutes, but she was the closest thing to an expert that the UNSC had right now. She had protested her transfer, wanting to stay aboard the _Abyss_, she wanted payback, but Haroldsen had been adamant.

The bridge elevators doors had just opened, Haroldsen had barely taken a step, when the alarms sounded. "Enemy contacts on radar! I repeat! Enemy contacts on radar! All crew to battle stations! This is not a drill! I repeat! This is not a drill!"

"Fuck!" Haroldsen cursed as he thumbed the elevator button, cursing the elevator in vain, hoping to make it move faster.

The doors had only just opened, when a bright flash of violent light filled the bridge. Several crewmen stopped in their tracks to stare out the window. Unable to help himself Harold took a quick glance. Where Anchor 1, the docking and shipping station, had once been there was now nothing but scrap. It had been blown apart by several direct impacts. Haroldsen, and the rest of the crew knew that there would be no survivors.

"They just blew up the Yard! Those fucking animals just blew up the Yard!" One of the crew screamed.

The aliens had claim a second civilian target.

"Enough Ensign!" Haroldsen barked at the crewman, now was not the time. "Stow it away and get to your station! Gomez report!"

Gomez looked up from the console she had been studying. "Captain! Half a dozen radiation spikes were detected outside the system roughly thirty seconds ago. I sounded the alarm and signalled both the _Fire_ and the _Abyss_ a warning about the incoming hostiles."

Haroldsen nodded at his XO. "Get damage control into their positions, now! Helms! Plot get me an intercept course! COMs, radio the_ Fire_ and the _Abyss_ into position to guard our flank as we move to intercept! And send a signal down to General Williams!"

The bridge crew leapt into action, as the engines hummed into life.

"Gomez. In your debriefing you indicated that a single MAC round was enough to destroy one of their ships, correct?" Haroldsen asked his XO, without taking his eyes off the tactical map.

Gomez hesitated for a moment. It had been enough to kill a smaller ship, but the ships on the tactical map were producing more heat radiation, indicating larger ships. She honestly didn't know if a frigate's or destroyer's MAC gun was capable of destroying a large ship, with a single shot.

"I... I don't sir." Gomez shrugged, "The ships I faced before were smaller, and I suspect the larger the ship, the more powerful the ship's shields."

Haroldsen looked over to her, a savage smile spreading across his scarred lips. "Well, I say we find out. Alexis!"

A bright green avatar of a short, petit woman, her hair cut close to the nape of her neck, flickered to life. "Yes, captain?"

"Get me a target, and arm the Archer pods."

"Sir?" Gomez looked up in confusion.

"You reported that Archer missiles were effective against their ships, once their shields had been dropped. If the first MAC round only depletes their shields, I want the missiles to fire, so we can conserve our big guns." Haroldsen answered.

"Captain, I have a shot on Charlie Three lined up. Permission to fire?"

"Fire!" Haroldsen barked.

The ship rumbled as one of the destroyer's MAC guns fired its six hundred ton projectile. The round slammed into Charlie Three, its shields briefly flicking to life, before dissipating under the strain of sixty-four kilotons of kinetic energy. The ship was still alive, but its shields were gone.

"Pity." Haroldsen commented, after a brief silence. "If we had been a cruiser, that shot would have killed the damn thing. Oh well. Guns, fire my Archer salvo."

"Yes sir!" The Lieutenant hollered back, as she keyed several switches. "Archer barrage, firing in three... two... one..."

The deck was light in a bright fiery orange, as dozens of missiles streaked towards their target. Bright, deadly flashes of light shot out from the unshielded ship, swatting the incoming missiles as they approached their target. A few dozen were destroyed by the aliens point defence system, but there were so numerous, that many got through, and slammed into the ship before detonating, tearing great chunks out of the ship's hull.

The ships engines died, as its shattered hull drifted off, nothing more then an empty shell, dead in space. The crew exploded into cheers, as the five enemy ships, turned to face their opponents.

The _Odin_ shook as several shots from the enemy struck her, wounding her, and tearing holes in her hull. The _Odin_ shook it off, however, and continued her advance towards the enemy.

Haroldsen was quite aware of the danger now. Although his ships could easily destroy those of the enemy's, the quick firing enemy guns could literally rip his ships to shreds with the massive amounts of fire they were able to produce.

Now was the time to play his trump card. Although Haroldsen only had a single fighter squadron for patrol duties, he figured that they would distract the aliens long enough to divert their attention away from his three ships, and towards the more immediate threat of his fighters.

Although it meant sending the squadron to their most certain deaths, it would by his ships time to inflict more casualties.

"COMs! I want Major Thompson's squadron to engage those..." He was interrupted by radar operator before he could finish.

"Sir, more blips on the radar! Fourteen craft! Approaching fast! From both the port and starboard flanks!"

"Fuck!" Haroldsen cursed. "COMs belay that order, have Major Thompson engage the ships approaching port side, have the _Abyss_ support them! Then get the _Fire _moving, and have them engage the other group at minimum range! Guns, Alexis! Concentrate on the group in front! Get me another target, and prepare an Archer barrage!"

Haroldsen knew they were going to die. The UNSC ships had proven to be more powerful then the aliens, but they were incapable of fighting so many at once. But they were not going to die alone.

Another rumble from the _Odin_'s second MAC gun, knocked out the shields of another enemy ship, the Archer missiles followed after, tearing into the hull, and causing huge amounts of structural damage, and causing the ships engines to go critical and detonate.

For the first time in his career, Haroldsen found himself cursing his old ship. The _Fist of Odin_ was what sailors had taken to calling a pre-war ship, unlike the rapid charging MACs of post-war ships like _Abyss_,and post-war second gen ships like the _Fire_, whose MAC was capable of firing a full three times before they needed to be recharged, the _Odin_ needed a full seven minutes to be able to fire again. Unit then the _Odin _was a sitting duck.

"Helms!" Haroldsen shouted, gesturing at the tactical map, even as the ship rocked from another impact. "See that bastard at the back?"

"Yes sir!"

The ship in question was producing more heat radiation, indicating a large ship.

Haroldsen's mouth formed a snarl. "RAM HIM!"

"Sir?" The stunned helmsman asked, after a second of hesitation.

"I said, RAM HIM! NOW!" Haroldsen shouted, as another volley of shots slammed into the ship.

Klaxon alarms sounded, as Alexis began spouting off lists of the damage that had been sustained. "Hull breaches are present on decks four, and seven. Fires are spreading throughout deck five. Life support has been lost on deck three. Engines are operating at fifty percent of normal capacity. Captain, the _Odin _will not survive another round. I suggest abandoning ship. Now!"

Haroldsen hesitated a moment, before nodding. He was supposed to take care of his crew, not make some vain suicidal charge. He raced over to the intercom, "All hands, this is Captain Haroldsen! Abandon ship! Repe..."

A bright, flash filled his vision, and then nothing. The UNSC _Fist of Odin_, exploded under the combined fire of the aliens centre group.

* * *

Admiral Raverus breathed a sigh of relief, as the first ship exploded. His forces had taken more of a beating then he had thought possible. Two of his light cruisers had been killed in the brief exchange. But he was in good position, as only two ships left, both of them were presenting their broadsides as they had turned to engage the flanking forces.

"COMs I want the cruisers _Diem_, and, _Infiniti_ to assist the right flank, while the _Capax_, and the _Delenda_, assist the left. Helms, keep the _Impervious_ in position." He turned to Captain Helacix, who had retained his captaincy; despite Raverus' instance that the battle scarred Captain receive a promotion as well. "Captain Helacix, inform General Arterius that he can begin landing his troops."

"Admiral! The second alien ship was destroyed, as well as what remained of their fighters. Losses on the left flank amount to two frigates destroyed with all hands, and light damage to the cruiser _Macte_. They are awaiting orders."

Raverus nodded. "Thank you COMs. Have them destroy what satellites remain in orbit, then have them take up positions around the planet."

He was breathing easier now. The aliens had put up a courageous fight, costing him almost a fifth of his forces. But Raverus could see the end now. The ground campaign would be swift and decisive, especially with now with his ships holding orbit around their planet.

A brief flash in the distance signalled the end of the engagement.

"Admiral, the last alien ship has been destroyed. Causalities from the left flank amount to three frigates destroyed... along with the heavy cruiser, _Hortus_. With all hands." Raverus was stunned.

He had entered into this battle with three heavy cruisers, six light cruisers, and twelve frigates. All together the turian fleet had lost one heavy cruiser, one lightly damaged, two light cruisers, and five frigates. Twelve hundred turians had died in the ten minute battle that had raged over this planet.

"Admiral... Sir... what are your orders?" Helacix asked hesitantly, as he looked at the shocked form of Raverus.

"Order... Order the fleet into positions above the planet. Tell... Tell General Arterius that the fleet is prepared to provide orbital support, including, with my authority, bombardments in support of ground operations."

Captain Helacix showed no surprise. It was after all standard Hierarchy doctrine to use bombardments in support of ground operations. In turian culture, there was no such thing as civilians in a war zone.

"Understood sir. I will inform Arterius of your decision to allow orbital bombardments, and for him to begin his landings. These aliens will not know what is about to hit them!"

* * *

UNSC 293rd Army Brigade HQ, Shanxi. August 27th 2592. 0513 hrs.

"Lily! Tell me you got that distress call through!" General Williams yelled at the AI's hologram that currently occupied a small portion of his desk. "They are here now! We don't have any time left!"

The small avatar shrugged. "I sent the message, but the radiation is still strong. I don't know if they will receive it, or what kind of condition it will be in."

Williams cupped his face in his hands, as he took several deep breaths. They were running out of time. The _Fist of Odin_, according to the small tactical map on his desk, was already destroyed, and the _Abyss_, and her sister ship _Into the Fire_ were not going to last much longer.

"What are the chances that the message will have made it to the UNSC?"

Again the Avatar shrugged her shoulders. "Unknown. My best estimate puts it at a forty percent chance."

Williams sighed. "That will have to do. Lily put me through to the men."

"Yes sir. Patching you through."

Williams waited until Lily gave him a nod.

_"Men. Humanity has faced the unknown before, and won." _

In her fortified position, in a settlement far outside of Bountiful, Platoon Sergeant Henichi and her platoon listened to the message on their radios.

_We have persevered and endured against the genocidal monsters of Covenant, and won. And now the people of Shanxi look to us to do it again._

In his squad's billet in Fraserton, Sergeant Mac Seain, kicked the Dregs into silence as he tried to listen to the broadcast

_To fight against the unknown. To fight against the monsters that attack us for no other reason then we are here._

Captain Turpin listened with a half an ear, as she picked out a pistol from armoury.

_But we will fight, we will prevail, and we will endure. It is our courage and our strength that will win this day. _

Williams took a shuddering, calming breath even as the light from missiles streaked into the air, as the anti-air defences all around Shanxi light up the morning sky. "Humanity is watching. Good luck and God's speed."

* * *

Well here is my late Christmas, Hanukah, Festivus, ect. gift to all of you. The siege of Shanxi has begun and I hope that you all enjoy it.

There are, however, some points I would like to talk about, specifically human shielding technology. It is stated that human shielding is fairly limited, and to shield their ships, the UNSC would need another fusion plant to power the device which would massively escalate the cost of construction.

Although it is reasonable to conclude that further research would decrease the cost and increase efficiency, after a devastating war most of your resources would be spent on rebuilding not studying, or researching new technologies. So yes sometime humans would probably develop shielding at some point but not in the near future.

Thank you and be sure to read and review.


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